[questime]

Nope, the best way to learn to start your own thing is to start your own thing - I know several successful YC founders who would never join a random YC startup to be an early employee since the risk/return is so bad. A lot of YC founders are random 20 something who may not even have a network, or very often they are terrible mentors.

These same successful YC founders hired a bunch of people saying the same stuff you are saying even though they would never take that deal. It's stuff you say to the plebs (to hire them for cheap) but the social proof/networks are better at late stage startups and FAANG.

[bb88]

> A lot of YC founders are random 20 something who may not even have a network, or very often they are terrible mentors.

Or are just toxic people entirely. Or worse, they started out as good and they got a little taste of power, and instead of becoming humble from it, they become a tyrant. Or their bad personal habits from college (drugs, alcoholism, weird sex crap) are forced onto the employees in uncomfortable ways. Or handle failure badly -- by taking it out on others.

Founders become founders because of their assertiveness and confidence in front of VC's. But then some make this weird trend towards anger and aggro towards others -- particularly if they're not succeeding and drowning in their own failures.